CUSMA certificate of origin: what goes in each field

Last updated 10 October 2026

Why there is no form to download

Under NAFTA, Canada used a prescribed document: Form B232, the North American Free Trade Agreement Certificate of Origin. (CBSA D11-4-14) CUSMA dropped it. The certification “has no prescribed format”. It can be a separate document, or the same nine elements added to an invoice or any other document, and it can be completed and signed electronically. (CBSA)

The agreement calls it a certification of origin. CBSA uses that and certificate, and most people say certificate. It is the same document, and so is the “USMCA certificate of origin” you will see in U.S. sources; see CUSMA vs USMCA certificate of origin.

The nine fields

What follows summarises CBSA’s explanatory notes for each data element. (CBSA)

1. Importer, exporter or producer

Say which of the three the certifier is. One company can be more than one, for example both producer and exporter. More in who can sign a CUSMA certification of origin.

2. Certifier

Name, title, address including country, telephone and email of the person certifying. CBSA notes that the certifier’s own address can be outside the three countries, for example a head office elsewhere that issues the invoices. The exporter and producer addresses must still be inside them.

3. Exporter

Name, address including country, email and telephone, if different from the certifier. The address is the place the goods are exported from, and it must be in Canada, the U.S. or Mexico. If a producer is completing the certificate and does not know who the exporter is, write “Unknown”.

4. Producer

Name, address including country, email and telephone, if different from the certifier or exporter. The address is the place of production, inside the three countries. CBSA accepts three alternatives:

• “Various”, or a list, if there is more than one producer.
• “Available upon request by the importing authorities”, if the producer wants its details kept confidential.
• “Unknown”, if the producer is not known.

5. Importer

Name, address, email and telephone, if known. The address must be inside the three countries. With several importers, write “Various” and be ready to give CBSA the list on request. If the importer is not known, write “Unknown”.

6. Description and HS classification of the good

A description detailed enough to tie the certificate to the goods, and the Harmonized System (HS) classification to six digits. For a single shipment, add the invoice number if you know it.

7. Origin criterion

The basis on which the good qualifies, under Article 4.2 of the agreement. CBSA accepts a reference to Article 4.2(a), (b), (c) or (d); a copy of the product-specific rule of origin for the good; or the letter A, B, C or D, though it prefers the first two. Goods certified under Schedule 2 of the CUSMA Rules of Origin Regulations (NAFTA’s old “Criterion E”) need that schedule named in this field.

Choosing the criterion takes knowledge of the goods and the rules, and the person who signs is responsible for it. OriginCert prints the criterion you choose and never picks one for you. Canada’s version of the rules is in CBSA Memorandum D11-5-17. If you are unsure, ask a licensed customs broker.

8. Blanket period

Only when one certificate covers several shipments of identical goods. Give the start and end dates. The period can be shorter than 12 months but not longer. A single-shipment certificate leaves this out.

9. Signature, date and certification statement

The certifier signs and dates it, and it must carry this statement, word for word:

“I certify that the goods described in this document qualify as originating and the information contained in this document is true and accurate. I assume responsibility for proving such representations and agree to maintain and present upon request or to make available during a verification visit, documentation necessary to support this certification.” (CUSMA Annex 5-A)

A filled-in sample

An invented producer in Quebec sells maple syrup to an invented U.S. importer over a year. All names, addresses and numbers are made up, and the origin criterion is there only to show the format. It is not a ruling on any real product.

1. Certifier is the: producer and exporter
2. Certifier: Marie Example, President, Example Sugarbush Inc., 100 rue Exemple, Saint-Exemple, Quebec, Canada, 555-010-0100, [email protected]
3. Exporter: same as certifier
4. Producer: same as certifier
5. Importer: Example Pantry LLC, 200 Example Avenue, Burlington, Vermont, USA, 555-010-0200, [email protected]
6. Good: pure maple syrup in 1 L and 4 L jugs, HS 1702.20. No invoice number, because the certificate covers a blanket period.
7. Origin criterion: Article 4.2(a)
8. Blanket period: 1 January 2027 to 31 December 2027
9. Signature and date: signed by Marie Example, dated 15 December 2026, under the certification statement

CBSA publishes two official worked examples, one certified by a producer and exporter and one by an importer. (CBSA)

Mistakes that leave a certificate incomplete

• An HS code shorter than six digits.
• A blanket period longer than 12 months.
• An exporter, producer or importer address outside Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.
• A blank field where “Unknown”, “Various” or “Available upon request by the importing authorities” belongs.
• The certification statement reworded, shortened or missing.
• No signature, or no date.
• The certification put on an invoice issued in a country outside the agreement, which the agreement does not allow. (CUSMA Article 5.2)

After it is signed

The importer must hold a valid certificate when it claims preferential treatment, and give customs a copy if asked. (CUSMA Article 5.4) Customs accepts a certificate for four years after it was completed. (CUSMA Article 5.3) In Canada, whoever certifies origin keeps the certificate and supporting records for six years. (CBSA D11-4-14) The whole process, step by step, is in how to get a certificate of origin in Canada.

Sources

• Certifying the origin of goods — CBSA
• CUSMA Chapter 5 (Origin Procedures) and Annex 5-A — Global Affairs Canada
• Memorandum D11-4-14, Certification of Origin Under Free Trade Agreements — CBSA
• Memorandum D11-5-17, CUSMA Rules of Origin — CBSA

OriginCert prepares the document. It does not decide whether your goods qualify.

Guides

• How to get a certificate of origin in Canada
• Why do you need a certificate of origin?
• Who can sign a CUSMA certification of origin?
• CUSMA vs USMCA certificate of origin